Bucks make two shocking moves in free agency

Waiving Lillard is a shocking but understandable move for Milwaukee. He is turning 35 and set to spend significant time rehabbing an Achilles tendon tear he suffered in the first round of the playoffs. 

It never quite worked out for Lillard and the Bucks. When Milwaukee acquired the All-NBA guard from the Trailblazers in a blockbuster trade, they thought his expert scoring and limitless three-point range would unlock their offense and that he would form a dynamic pick-and-roll duo with franchise superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

However, due to coaching changes, roster mismanagement and injuries, the Bucks never made it out of the first round during Lillard's two star-crossed seasons in Milwaukee. 

On the other hand, this is a stunning move for Turner, who spent his first 10 years in the NBA with the Pacers and was the team's longest-tenured player as it made a Cinderella run all the way to Game 7 of the NBA Finals this past season.

Charania indicated that Turner wanted to stay in Indiana, but the Pacers didn't want to go over the tax, especially in the wake of star guard Tyrese Haliburton's Achilles tear. With the Pacers unwilling to make an offer, the Bucks came in and stole Turner from a division rival. 

The Bucks are trying to retool on the fly and build a championship-level supporting cast for Antetokounmpo amid rumors that the "Greek Freak" would request a trade from Milwaukee. However, this signing shows that the Bucks are all in on keeping their championship window open and making their franchise superstar happy. 

Turner provides the Bucks with three-point shooting and great interior defense. Last year, the Bucks were the best three-point shooting team in the league, according to NBA Advanced Stats, so putting a floor-spacing center like Turner into an offense that already loves to shoot threes seems like a match made in basketball heaven. 

Milwaukee also needed help on the defensive end. While its 12th-ranked defense from last year wasn't awful, it was nowhere near championship level, and Turner can surely help raise the team's defensive acumen. 

In many ways, Turner will slide right into the role in which the Bucks' previous center, Brook Lopez, served. Like Turner, Lopez could stretch the floor as well as he could protect the paint. Lopez played his role perfectly during the Bucks' 2021 championship run, and if Turner can be a younger, more athletic version of Lopez, the Bucks should return to title contention once again. 

This is also a great fit for Turner, as playing alongside Antetokounmpo will shore up some of the holes in Turner's game, most particularly offensive rebounding. 

It's tough to see Lillard's time in Milwaukee come to such an unceremonious ending, but the Bucks are making the right decisions to return to title contention.